Air-brake apparatus.



F. S, CRAVENS.

AIR BRAKE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1914.

Patented Apr. 2'7, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

TLC-Ira .l

F. S. CRAVENS.

AIR BRAKE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION men NOV. n. 1914.

TI 5;. El

FRANK. S. CRAVENS, OLIVEIIILLICENTUCK Y.

Ara-BRAKE ArrAnnrUs.

riavgroi,

I Specificationof Letters latent. Patented Apr. 2?, 1915.

Application filed November 11,1914. Serial No. 371,576.

T dZ'Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. CRAVENS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at No.988,864, granted April 4,1911, and the primary object of the invention is to provide simple andimproved means whereby all the angle cocks throughout the length of atrain shall be opened automatically and maintained in open positionduring normal conditions in operations of the train when air at normalpressure is admitted to or present in the train pipe, therebyinsuringthe correct action of the brakes on all cars composing the train andpreventing closing of any one or more of the angle cocks by accident orby unauthorized persons, means, however, being provided whereby atraininan ma close any one of the cooks when it is neces: saryto do soin uncoupling a car or for any otherreason.

To 'these and other ends, the invention consists in certainimprovements, and com binations and arrangements of parts, all as willbe hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointedout particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a Side elevation, partly insection, of an angle cock for air brake apparatus constructed inaccordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partlyin section, and With parts removed, showing.

th device illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a section on theline'3-3 of Fig.

" 1'; Fig. 4 represents a hori ontal section 'l through the deviceshowing the arrangement of air passages; Fig. 5 represents an enlargeddetail view showing a portion of the air cylinder and one of the airpassages lead ing thereto; Fig. 6 represents a section on time line 6-3of Fig.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in theseveral views.

In the present instance I have shown the invention applied to theordinary or stand- I ard angle cock, modified slightly, however, toadapt it for use in connection with the I resent invention. This cockconsists enerally of a casing 1, one end 2 of which is threaded toreceive the brake-or train pipe wh ch extends beneath the car while the0pposite end 3 of the'casing is inclined downwardlyand is threaded orotherwise adaptedto receive the usiial flexible coupling. hose by meansof whichthe brake or train pipe is rendered continuous throughout thelength of the train. Theplug i ofthe cock is r0 tatably fitted asusualin the casing, the interior of the casing being preferably providedwth a bushing 5 in wh ch the plug is rotatable. The plug is formed witha passage 6 and turning of the plug presents this passage either in linewith the passageway through the cook, the cock being then in openposition, or in a position transverse to the passageway through thecasing when the cock is closed.

According to the present invention, ai'roperated means is provided forautomatically opening the cock when air at-normal pressure is admittedto the train pipe and for holding the cock in open position while thetrain pipe is charged with air. In the present instance the air-operatedmeans comprlses a cyhnder 7 which may be conveniently cast as apart ofthe casing 1, this cylinder having a piston 8 fitted to reciprocatetherein, and the end of the cylinder is closed by a head 9. A piston rod10 is connected to the piston and extends through one end of thecylinder 7 into a housing 11, the,

latter having a longitudinal recess or groove 12 which provides a guidefor the piston rod 10. The piston rod is formed with gear teeth 13whereby itmay perform the function of a rack. The upper end of the plug4 is formed with an angular portion 14, and a gear or gear segment 15 isfitted upon the angular portion 14 of the plug, the gear or gear segmentbeing located in a pocket or recess 16 which isformed in the housing 11.The housing 11 is preferably formed with an open top to permitassembling of the parts and it is provided With a lid or cover late 1'?which is adapted to be tightly tted thereon, the housing, together withits lid- 30, the presence of air under pressure in the "or other foreignmatter into the housing through the opening of the lid through} whichthe angular stem 14 of the plug passes, a washer 19 may be applied'tothe squared end of the stem 14 of the plug, this I washer having anaperture shaped to fit the sages leading to the outer end 01- thecylinder, and grooves 23 and Qlconnect the ends of these passages withthe cylinder whereby air approaching the cock froineither direction willfiow through one or another of the air passages 21 and 22 into thecylinder and Will force the piston S outwardly, rotating the gear or:gear segment 15 and consequently turning the plug at from its normalclosed position to open position, thereby automatically opening the cockupon admission of air to the train pipe. Furthermore,

train pipe insures the maintenance of the cock in open position as airunder pressure acts upon the piston 8 to hold the cock open. In order toeconomize in the amount of air required in opening the cock, reducingbushings or plugs,25 and 26 are prefe "ably, fitted into the airpassages 21 and 22, these reducing bushings having openings just suiii-icient in size to admit the necessary amount ofair to open the cockasrequired.

In order to enable a traininan to close the cock When it is'desired touncouple a car or for'any'other reason, means is provided forreleasingthe-pressure of air behind the piston in order to permit thecock to be closed by manipulation of the handle 18. In the presentinstance'a relief valve 27 isfitted into the cylinder head 9, thisrelief valve being of any suitable construction such, for example, asthatshown in my prior patent aforesaid, and in order to preventunauthorized persons from tamperingwith the valve Without detection, theair released fromthe cylinder by the relief valve preferably passes to.a whistle or other audible signal 28 which may also be of any suitableconstruction such, for example, as that shown in my prior patent.aforesaid.

, F or the purpose of preventing leakage of fair from the train or brakepipe while the pressure is acting on the piston to hold the cock open, adisk or washer 29 of leather, rubber or 0t; r suitable packing materialmay be placed at the forward end of the cylinder to be compressed by thepiston as the latter is forced forward to the limit of its connected toreciprocate with the piston, a

gear member cooperative with said rack and connected tothe plug forturning the latter to open the cock by air pressure from either side ofsaid plug, a housing inelosing the gear member and rack, and a manuallyoperative handle connected to the plug eXteriorly of the housing. I

In air brake apparatus, the combination of a cock for the brake or trainpipe having a rotatable plug, a'cylinder and a piston reciproeabletherein, passages connecting one end of the cylinder with the cock atopposite sides of said plug, a rack connected to reciprocate with thepiston, a gear member actuated by said rack and connected to saidpl'ug,and a housing said rack and gear member.

1 3. In air brake apparatus, the con1bination of a cock for the brake ortrain pipe having a rotatable plug, a cylinder and a piston reciprocabletherein, passages connecting one end of the cylinder with the v cock atopposite sides of said plug, a rack- ,connected to reciprocate with thepiston, a

gear member actuated by said rack and connected to said plug, anopen-topped housing inclosing said rack and gear member,;'a lid fittedto and closing the top of said housing, and a handle fixed to the plugabove said lid.

at. In air brake apparatus, the combination of a cock for the brake ortrain pipe having arotatable plug, a cylinder and a piston reciprocabletherein, passages connecting one end of the cylinder with the cock atopposite sides of said plug, a'rack connected to reciprocateyxvith thepiston, a

gear ine nber actuated by said rack and con- FRANK S. CRAVENS.

Witnesses C. A, BaTmmN, Cine. S. Hymn.

nected to said plug, and-a housing inclosing

